Manual of Style
This is the style manual for all SVSU Student Association Wiki articles as well as a list of guidelines which all editors should follow. List of Wanted Pages (this is an automated list based upon existing content). The goal is to make using this wiki easier and more intuitive by promoting clarity and cohesion while helping editors write articles with consistent and precise language, layout, and formatting. Plain English works best. Avoid ambiguity, jargon, and vague or unnecessarily complex wording. Use common sense when interpreting and applying policies and guidelines; there will be occasional exceptions to these rules. Entries in this wiki should be directly related or have a significant nexus to the SVSU Student Association. Infoboxes An infobox is a panel, usually in the top right of an article, next to the lead section (in the desktop version), that summarizes key features of the page's subject. Infoboxes may also include an image. Infobox Colors External organizations, positions, and people should use an infobox with blue accent colors, such as the infobox on the Election Commission Advisor page. Student Association infoboxes should be red, which is the default color. Please do not be discouraged from editing this wiki if you do not know how to change the color of an infobox. When in doubt, make the edit and wait for an administrator to change the color. Infobox Order of Precedence On an article with multiple infoboxes, such as the article on Zachary Eick, Student Association service should take precedence over service to any other external organization, such as SVSU or the Supreme Court of Saginaw Valley, and Student Association infoboxes should appear on the top of the page, above the infoboxes of external organizations. People who have served the association in multiple capacities should have infoboxes appear in the following order of precedence: Student Association President, Speaker of the Association, Parliamentarian, Ombudsman, Public Information Officer, Legislative Director, Allocations Director, Campus Events Director, Representative, etc. Titles A title should be a recognizable name or description of the topic that is natural, sufficiently precise, concise, and consistent with the titles of related articles. If these criteria are in conflict, they should be balanced against one another. Sections Articles are divided into sections. All articles begin with an introductory lead section which concisely summarizes the article's contents. The lead appears before any section headings. New information is not always important enough for the lead; it should be placed in the most appropriate section or sections. If an article has at least four section headings, a navigable table of contents appears automatically, just after the lead. Self Publishing Editors, such as former members of the association, may publish material about themselves. This is allowed due to the young nature of this wiki and due to the fact that it needs eager editors in order to build up its page and article count. All pages and articles should, to the best of the editor's ability, contain a neutral point of view, verifiability, and no original research.